We've collected some of the best answers. Here are some things
you can do to make sure you have the energy and the focus to turn
your pipe dream into a reality:

1. Work on your project at least once every day.

It's important to stay on track. Quora user Paul Mulwitz spent six
years building his own airplane and said he's found consistency
to be the key to finishing big projects. "It doesn't matter if
you spend just a couple of minutes or hours so long as you don't
have long periods of ignoring it," he said. "I've recommended
this approach to at least one other builder who managed to finish
his project with this advice."

2. Set up boundaries between your day job and your passion
project.

Sometimes it helps to clear your head after work before jumping
right back into your project. The Awl co-founder Choire Sicha suggested
taking a short nap right after you get home from work, while
fellow Quora user Aymeric Gaurat found success with a half-hour video
game break. "The quick or moderately quick nap resets my brain, 9
times out of 10," Sicha wrote. "Then I start my day over, and get to
work on job number two."

3. Exercise.

Though you might feel anxious taking additional time away from
your project, physical activity can provide the energy you need
to push through after a long day of work, Jen Canfield said. Quora
user Greg Blome
also recommends monitoring your carbohydrates and fat intakes to
achieve maximum physical and mental energy.

4. Break your project up into a series of manageable tasks.

One of the best things you can do to complete any project is to
create a set of goals, that way you stay focused and reward
yourself for your progress. Quora engineering
manager Kah
Keng Tay suggests creating what he calls "near-term
milestones," with Erica Friedman adding that she tries to complete at
least one small task on her project each day.

5. Get feedback on your work as you go.

Quora user Venkatesh
Rao found that one of the things that most helped him write
four books while working a full-time job was the input and
support of other writers. By starting a writer's group, he was
able to create social pressure on himself to keep his project
moving along.

6. If you're using a computer, leave the tabs and apps
you're working in open at all times.

This decreases what are called "switching costs," the amount of
time it takes for you to resume work on your project. Tay writes: "I leave all
my editors, browser windows, etc. exactly the way they are so I
can pick up and resume where I left off. This means I usually
never shut down my computer, preferring to put it to sleep or
standby where possible."

7. Experiment with different work times to find what's right for
you.

Quora user Rahul Shankar says it's important to determine for
yourself when you can be most productive. Try working on your
project before work one day, and afterwards another. Tinker with
different sleep schedules. Eventually you'll find the system that
works best for you.

8. Only spend your time working on projects you're absolutely
crazy about.

Otherwise, Chris Loughnane says, you'll never finish. As
fellow Quora user John B. Petersen III put it: "The best way to be
motivated to work on your side project is to be doing something
you can't stop thinking about. If your side project is something
you spend every waking moment thinking about, then you'll find
time to work on it no matter what."